Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
“Good morning, mein Ein und Alles.”
It was a really good morning as Elio growled the words against Milo’s thigh before kissing and licking his hole.
“Mein Held.”
“Held?” The question turned into a loud gasp as two fingers pushed into his hole, slick and twisting as they reached deep and made Milo’s toes curl.
“My one and only. My hero.”
Milo would have cried but Elio sucked all the tears from his eyes, making him come in a bright, blinding rush.
Then, he rolled Milo over and onto his knees and Elio made him see stars, driving deep and grinding hard with every thrust. Milo came again, screaming into the mattress as Elio howled his name.
“I love you so, so much.” Elio kissed the words into Milo’s hair before gently pulling out and nipping at his earlobe. “Let’s go! I have breakfast!”
“You have breakfast?” Milo reached for his glasses on the bedside table, worried. “Who did I just—?” he started, laughing as a pillow was tossed at his head.
“Come on, we can’t fool around too much or we’ll be late.”
Milo’s jaw fell when Elio pushed a cart into the room bearing a French press, two sets of cups and saucers, toasted bagels, a fruit salad, and two plates of scrambled eggs.
“How did you…?” He had been pampered all weekend but Milo was particularly touched because it was Monday morning and the alarm on his phone hadn’t gone off yet.
“I asked Riley for help. He set everything up so I just had to wheel this into the bedroom. I was thinking of hiring someone, if you’ll move in with me.”
“Here?” Milo mouthed, and gulped for air as his vision blurred and his nose stung. He did not want to cry!
Elio shrugged. “I don’t think Muriel would mind. If she does, I’ll find the closest place I can so you aren’t far from your parents and Luna.”
“Yes! I’d love that!” Milo nodded and rose on his knees, reaching for Elio. “We could always move in with my dads or my mom.”
“That I might not love,” Elio admitted apologetically as he went to Milo. “Your family is great but I need more privacy and my own space. And I don’t think they would love living with me. I keep terrible hours and write on everything and I don’t like to wear clothes while I work.”
Milo made a solemn sound as he nodded. “You shouldn’t have to wear clothes. You do your best work when you’re naked.”
“Exactly,” Elio said, then cut his eyes at Milo. “I wrote my paper about the Hubble constant almost entirely in the nude.”
“I’m sorry I missed that.”
“You should be, but I’m looking forward to writing our first paper together.”
They flirted and planned for the day as they fed each other and sipped their coffee, eventually dressing and setting off for work. Milo laughed as he hopped over the elevator’s threshold and pressed the button for the lobby.
“I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a Monday morning since I started at Starlight,” Milo said, sighing happily as he stretched and tried to steal a kiss.
That wasn’t enough for Elio. He grabbed the straps of Milo’s backpack and kissed him slowly and thoroughly, making his toes curl in his Converse.
“Neither have I,” Elio said, pecking at Milo’s lips. There was a soft cough, informing them that they had arrived and the elevator doors had opened. “Good morning, Carl.” Elio smiled over Milo’s shoulder.
“Morning, gentlemen. Wasn’t sure if you’d fallen under a spell or needed medical assistance.”
“No, we’re fine,” Milo said and kept his head down as he pulled Elio out and through the lobby. Once outside, he risked a glance at Elio and erupted into laughter. “It really isn’t funny,” he said after he had caught his breath.
“It really is. You ran out of there like you robbed the place.”
“I know!” Milo rubbed his face with the end of his hoodie’s sleeve. “But I’ve known Carl my whole life!”
“I’m sure he’s happy for you,” Elio said and held out his hand.
Milo stared at it, his face warm and his heart racing with excitement. “It’s my turn,” he whispered to himself as one of his most cherished childhood memories rushed back to him. “Let’s go!” He grabbed Elio’s hand and pulled him in the other direction.
“Where are we going? The train’s that way.”
“Slight detour!” Milo explained over his shoulder before dodging a woman with an armful of pastry boxes.
“Pardon us!” he told her and rushed across the street as soon as it was clear.
“I know how to get to Starlight from my old middle school,” he said, his heart beating faster and faster.
He was getting warmer and warmer and was sure he was glowing, he was so happy and certain that Elio was his future.
“We’re going to your old middle school?”
“Not all the way,” Milo said as he hopped and leaned to see around the bodies ahead of them, smiling when he saw the stretch of sidewalk from his memory. “We’re almost there!”
He pulled them along and stopped when he recognized the hydrant across the street where his father, Giles, had stopped a strange young woman and offered her a lot of money for a wire ring with a bright blue crystal.
Giles proposed in this very spot after Milo won the science fair.
And later, Milo handed an enhanced version of that ring to Giles before it was placed on Riley’s finger at their wedding.
“Here!” he said, taking both of Elio’s hands in his. “This is where my dad asked Riley to marry him.”
Elio straightened and swung around, getting a better look at their surroundings. “Here? Are you asking me—?” he said, then pulled Milo’s hands to his lips and kissed them. “Because the answer is yes, I will marry you. I don’t care where we decide or where we do it. All I know is—”
“Wait!” Milo shook his head and grabbed Elio’s face. “Not yet! This is where I’m going to ask you. I had to show you so you know that it has to be here.”
“I see.” There was a soft, rumbling chuckle as Elio pressed his lips to Milo’s. “That is good to know. I would have rented out the Hayden or another collider…”
“No, this is it!” Milo stated with a firm nod.
“This is where my dads made two of my dreams come true. I knew that Giles was always going to be okay and Riley became an official part of our family. They got married and then they had Luna and it all started right here. This is their ‘lucky spot’ and they always stop here and kiss when they come this way.”
“This is the spot,” Elio agreed and took out his phone, holding it up as he rotated.
“What are you doing?”
“Recording the coordinates. This is my next tattoo and where we’ll meet when it’s time.”
“Should I get one too?” Milo asked with a hesitant grimace.
“That’s up to you,” Elio said as he offered Milo his hand again.
“We’ll be late. Not that I really care,” he added, but Milo smiled as he took it and they set out again.
“I want the tattoo so I have something for me, until we make it public, and to commemorate the moment. An engagement tattoo. But we can get you a ring. Whatever makes it special for you.”
Milo nodded, his mind made up. “I want one too. Let’s do it as soon as possible or I’ll talk myself out of it.”
“I’ll set up something for tonight or tomorrow.
In the meantime, don’t think about it.” Elio turned when Milo pointed and they took the stairs, then found a spot on the wall to wait for the next train.
“Is there a specific time or can I ask you around the holidays?” Elio guessed but Milo shook his head.
“I’m going to ask you but I have to establish myself as a scientist and…an adult, first. I don’t want our relationship and our marriage to eclipse all the other things I want to accomplish. I want to earn my successes honestly and because I deserved them, not because I married you.”
“I understand completely,” Elio said, his eyes shining as he traced Milo’s cheek, just under his glasses.
Was it love, shining in Elio’s eyes or was Milo imagining it? It certainly felt like it might be.
“We’ll keep our relationship as quiet as possible until you’re ready,” Elio agreed.
“I’ve seen how the Foundation and the von Hessen name can crush dreams and ruin lives.
I don’t care when it happens or what we call ourselves as long as we’re happy.
It doesn’t matter to me if I’m your boyfriend, fiancé, personal project partner, future father of your children…
” he suggested and lifted his brows. Possibly daring Milo again.
“Father?” Milo echoed, his mind reeling as he imagined them with kids.
Elio shrugged easily, then nodded at the track when they heard the train arriving. “I’ve never thought about it but I think being a parent would make me very happy. Unless you don’t want to have children. Then, I would just not think about it,” he mused but Milo nodded quickly.
“I would! I never thought about having kids of my own because…I’m still a kid and then there’s all the stuff that comes before parenthood…
” He covered his mouth and Milo’s eyes blurred with tears as he laughed.
“I didn’t think I’d ever grow up and have a boyfriend or a husband.
But I love kids and being a dad would be amazing! ”
“It would be, wouldn’t it?” Elio said and was grinning as he pulled Milo close, holding him and rocking them as they waited for the train to stop.
“I would adore a mini Milo or my own clone. My parents would be so proud if I was the one to carry on their legacy. Not the legacy of the Margraviate or the Foundation, but of our branch of the von Hessens.”
“You’re going to be a great father,” Milo predicted with a confident nod, his soul growing warmer and warmer as he imagined Elio with a pair of toddlers in his arms.